There is well-known research showing that an inordinately large number of Americans never read a book after high school. This is only one symptom of a much larger problem in our society when it comes to self-improvement.
Sadly, we as a people aren’t utilizing the rapid advancement in technology for as much good as we can take from it. No other time in history has offered so much availability of knowledge and ways to use it. I remember the “old days” when encyclopedias were the rage for helping children become smarter about their world. The problem was they became badly outdated the minute they were printed. Today, access to anything you want in real-time is available. However I suspect there are more people posting gibberish on Facebook than actually finding a way to improve themselves.
How do you benchmark yourself when it comes to developing not just your level of education, but also your level of being an object of interest?
For me, I use pretty simple metrics. So far this year, I’ve attended one professional development conference, am on book number 3, and subscribe to bi-monthly educational video series. Now don’t get me wrong; I love watching TV and have been known to post a few things on Facebook. However the priority I set on improving my brain is at the top of the list, so I commit and implement. The only way to check my progress is the benchmark improvement.
I encourage you to do the same. Read more books. Watch all sorts of movies. Take part in educational workshops and use technology to leverage your time and investment. Keep track of what you do and seek to sustain it. No matter what your career, you will be better off both professionally and personally because of it.
Quote of the Week:
“To win without risk is to triumph without glory.”
~ Pierre Corneille, famous French dramatist
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